Publications

The coupled plate interface of subduction zones—commonly called the seismogenic zone—has been recognized as the origin of fatal earthquakes. A subset of the aftershock series of the great Antofagasta thrust-type event (1995 July 30; Mw=8.0) has been used to study the extent of the seismogenic zone in northern Chile. To achieve reliable and precise hypocentre locations we applied the concept of the minimum 1-D model, which incorporates iterative simultaneous inversion of velocity and hypocentre parameters. The minimum 1-D model is complemented by station corrections which are influenced by near-surface velocity heterogeneity and by the individual station elevations. By relocating mine blasts, which were not included in the inversion, we obtain absolute location errors of 1 km in epicentre and 2 km in focal depth. A study of the resolution parameters ALE and DSPR documents the importance of offshore stations on location accuracy for offshore events. Based on precisely determined hypocentres we calculate a depth of 46 km for the lower limit of the seismogenic zone, which is in good agreement with previous studies for this area. For the upper limit we found a depth of 20 km. Our results of an aseismic zone between the upper limit of the seismogenic zone and the surface correlates with a detachment zone proposed by other studies; the results are also in agreement with thermal studies for the Antofagasta forearc region.

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Husen, S.; Kissling, E.; Flueh, E. R.; Asch, G. (1999): Accurate hypocentre determination in the seismogenic zone of the subducting Nazca Plate in northern Chile using a combined on/offshore network.. Geophysical Journal International, 138, No.3, 687-701.